My interest in pottery started over 30 years ago, during my first pregnancy. I took a series of classes in wheel throwing. What was I thinking? 9 months pregnant, straddling a pottery wheel!!! When I came back to the class after delivery, the instructor had mercy on my and introduced me to hand building. I fell in love with creating with clay. I had no illusion of being master potter. Or even making usable pieces. I was happy "playing" with clay. After a couple years, this is the only piece I had to show. It is my first piece and I still use it.
I call it WWI HELMET. Art is in the eye of the creator!
The next time I got back into pottery was through the Cuyahoga Falls Parks and Recreation department. I took the class to make tiles for my mosaic pots. Plus it gave me access to a kiln to fire the glaze on the terra cotta rim.
The instructor, Amy, showed me how to add glass shards to the glaze to make GEODE BEADS. I used the beads in my Capri Shell Wall Hanging.
During these classes, I learned to make LARGE LEAVES. Because of my love of trees and leaves, I was immediately interested. I made a lot of leaves!
I was very excited to get into Kim's Totem class. It involved a very intense Saturday and Sunday and then three more Saturdays. The first weekend was like a two-day pottery retreat. On the first day Kim led us through the steps to make several large hollow pieces. We came back on Sunday and made more pieces...some large, some small. The bonus was that Kim provided a home-cooked lunch on both these days.
On the following Saturdays, we made our finial, stained and glazed our pieces. In addition to Kim's instruction and help, there was Robin, her studio assistant to help us. Kim's husband Mark, helped with the food and made the totem bases.
We used many techniques...forms, texturing, connecting to make hollow pieces, coils, pinch pots, extruder pieces, staining, glazing. This class had it all. Not only did Kim, Mark and Robin make it easy and enjoyable...but the other participants were supportive and fun.
The last Saturday we got together to assemble the completed pieces and admire each others work. What a beautiful collection.
